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1/4 Karshapana - Sunga Dynasty
| Issuer | Shunga Empire |
|---|---|
| Year | 185 BC - 73 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1/4 Karshapana |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Central field depicts a standing human figure, likely a deity or royal personage, positioned to the right beside a large elephant rendered in profile facing right. The figures are executed in a bold, archaic punch-marked style characteristic of early Indian copper coinage. The design occupies the majority of the irregular flan, with the elephant's body and the attendant figure rendered in low relief. The surfaces show the typical rough texture associated with cast or hammered Shunga-period copper issues. No legend or inscription is present on this side. |
|---|---|
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
The Shunga dynasty came to power when the general Pushyamitra Shunga assassinated the last Mauryan emperor Brihadratha during a military parade — an act that ended nearly 140 years of Mauryan rule and abruptly reversed the empire's Buddhist patronage in favor of Brahmanical orthodoxy. Coinage from this transition continued to use punch-marked techniques inherited from Mauryan mints, reflecting administrative continuity even as political power changed hands violently.
The quarter karshapana denomination served everyday low-value exchange across the Gangetic plain throughout the dynasty's 112-year span.